The Showhouse at Adamsleigh

Designers’ dreams hinge on two golden words: carte blanche. Add three more—location, location, location—and you have all the fixings for a five-star showhouse. On 13 groomed acres in Greensboro, North Carolina, the showhouse at Adamsleigh was just that. What better location than this sweet spot of the furniture industry, with its famed biannual International Home Furnishings Market in nearby High Point? Adamsleigh—a splendid Tudor-style manor house built in 1930 on grounds replete with tennis courts, a caretaker’s cottage, a pond, and two pools—set the style bar high; it challenged a mix of local, regional, and national designers to stretch, to dream big.

For the Junior League of Greensboro, this mini-Biltmore designed by Winston-Salem architect Luther Lashmit as a home for textile titan John Hampton “Hamp” Adams—co-founder of Adams-Mills Corporation—proved an aptly grand fund-raising venue. For Traditional Home, partnering up was a no-brainer. The timing was impeccable: Adamsleigh’s opening coincided with High Point’s spring market. Now, as attention turns to the area’s fall market, we fondly look back to the showhouse at Adamsleigh, the magazine’s first showhouse in—and timely tribute to—our furniture capital.

Designer India Miller gave the mansion’s dramatic spiral stair tower a fresh twist with Karastan carpet that mimics antelope hide. “Animal prints are my ‘neutrals,’” she explains. The carpet provides a modern counterpoint to the stairwell’s original iron chandelier.

Also the designer for the foyer and main-floor hallway, Miller energized what could be somber spaces with color and pattern. Pops of paprika and mango on pillows invigorate the blue velvet wing chairs flanking the original carved-stone fireplace. More punch is presented with bright stripes covering oval-back side chairs backed with houndstooth. “I wanted to maintain the integrity of each space, but bring about a fresh and unique twist,” she says.

In the dining room, Jeffery Muse proves two is better than one. Featuring Baker Furniture, the formal space includes a pair of round tables beneath matching chandeliers. It’s an “updated alternative to the standard single rectangle table in a formal dining room,” Muse says. Wood-paneled walls detailed with inserts of gold metallic grass cloth complement, but don’t compete with, the ceiling’s plasterwork—the room’s original pièce de résistance. More Baker pieces—a polished buffet with a glazed, faux-parchment finish and hosting burnished-brass lamps—command the back wall. The drapery fabric features exotic flowers and birds on a platinum ground.

Next door to the dining room, Jane Matteson gleaned inspiration for the lakefront entry from the home’s exquisite architecture. “I wanted to play off the remarkable 1920s woodwork in the original bookcase, the hand-carved sandstone ceiling molding, and the exceptional period wrought-iron door leading to the terrace,” the designer says. The natural color palette led to her “cabinet-of-curiosities” concept that stars pieces like the faux-bois iron tables and zebra rug. The collecting theme continues with Swarovski-studded sea fans, a velvet-mohair bench, Parisian birdcages, and a collection of books aged and framed as artwork.

Miles Redd followed his own advice in designing the living room: “Get the floors and walls right, and the rest is easy.” Asian-inspired furniture from Century plays off a backdrop of chinoiserie-wallpapered panels and a blue-and-cream rug. “I like to get optimal use from a space—multiple seating areas, a place for playing cards or small dinners,” Redd explains.

Dressed in blue panels and scalloped valances with a Far East bent, the large windows announce the exotic theme, which is repeated by side chairs in a peacock motif. Pagoda chairs encircle the dark-wood pedestal dining table. Chinese-style fretwork doors on bar cabinets and ginger jars complete the Asian theme.

To brighten the room, Redd coated the ceiling beams and wall trim in a custom blue hue. A host of chairs, including one of tufted leather, forms a classic conversation area radiating around the marble coffee table.

Eric Cohlercredits the sunporch’s three walls of arch-topped windows “as a welcoming link between interior and exterior.” The designer’s ceiling-to-floor draperies emphasize the room’s tall ceiling while softening its brick walls. He used Pearson furnishings, including a sumptuous mohair sofa, a side chair upholstered in a pink ikat print, and a lounge chair with matching ottoman facing a lavish ivory-leather coffee table.

The 1930s Tudor-style manor shares grounds with tennis courts, swimming pools, and a caretaker’s cottage. The property’s classic layout is exemplified by the home’s traditional and inviting front entrance designed by Luke Sumpter.

Suzanne Kasler designed the den that’s off the living room with furniture from Hickory Chair. The room’s wood paneling prompted her use of creamy-pale silks and linens. Taking center stage is an armless sofa and midcentury cocktail table with a segmented base for storage. The geometric-patterned fabric on the sofa pillow references the playful area rug. “What made it all work was the geometric rug,” she says. “It brings a modern feel, is handsome and strong, and provides pattern.” Draperies banded in buttery yellow velvet accessorize the stunning French doors. Overhead hangs an octagon-shaped ceiling lantern in a brass finish from Circa Lighting.

Ahead of its time, Adamsleigh boasts a plethora of indoor-outdoor connections. The outdoor courtyard designed by Stephanie James and Patti Allen is “comfortable, inviting, and lounge-worthy, with each sitting area offering uniqueness,” says James. An outdoor daybed encourages guests to laze on its off-white cozy cushions and peach-patterned pillow covered with Sunbrella fabrics.

Anita Phipps chose bold black-and-beige stripes to enrich the walls of the men’s half bath off the main hall. She played up the original checkered-tile floor by dressing windows in a complementary woven fabric. Next, she transformed an antique gold frame into a statement mirror. A black chandelier echoes the existing black pedestal sink.

The serene sunroom by Bradshaw Orrell and Randy McManus begins with turquoise-painted walls layered with white lattice. “We wanted to create a l’orangerie/arboretum feeling full of color and life,” explains Orrell.

See more of the sunroom and terrace designed by Bradshaw Orrell and Randy McManus on the following slides.

The punchy color scheme extends to an outdoor terrace, where Sunbrella fabrics cover cushions on the Summer Classics wicker-look outdoor furniture and sunroom settees, and were fashioned into orange-trimmed draperies, awnings, and geometric-motif pillows. “The sunroom’s furnishings and artwork put guests in a ‘read-a-good-book’ sort of mood, while the terrace screams for friends and mint juleps,” says McManus.

Ann Legette, inheriting the library’s existing dark-paneled walls, “found the room needed levity in every sense of the word.” Sisal from Stanton Carpet instantly refreshed it. Lining the backs of the bookshelves with an ivory grass cloth also brightened the mood and made displayed objects pop. Shades of aqua, deep-sea blue, and citron green on the cocktail tables, silk draperies, and pillows brought the otherwise neutral space to life. The salon-like seating plan anticipates several small groups of guests.

Leslie Moore jump-started the kitchen’s color scheme with its original floor-to-ceiling wall tiles, still an immaculate green. “It isn’t a color I would normally work with, so I stretched my boundaries and ended up having a great time with it,” she says. Two orange-patterned ottomans join the colorful banquette at the breakfast table, which is set with charcoal and white Vietri dinnerware.

An enclosed porch just off the kitchen was also designed by Moore. Greek-key patterned draperies coordinate with teal pottery, while a wide blue center stripe updates the C.R. Laine wing chairs’ white upholstery.

Jack Fhillips, influenced by Scalamandré for Eastern Accent’s iconic zebra-print bedding, designed a sophisticated daughter’s bedroom and bath fit for a fashion-forward queen. He used black lacquered furniture and large-scale artwork to pop against the white-textured Scalamandré wall covering and contrasting black trim. The zebra-print draperies and bed linens are by Eastern Accents. The black chaise with cream cord trim is from the designer’s own collection.

The spacious master suite at Adamsleigh includes a sitting room flanked by his-and-her bedrooms and dressing rooms. For the sitting room, Lisa Kahn fashioned a space that is “cozy, well-appointed, and elegant,” she says. Kahn introduced a misty-blue and gold palette at the walls, then continued it on ultra-chic loveseats and their banded pillows. A sunburst mirror and quatrefoil-base floor lamps from Chelsea House bring a spark of glam to the fireside.

Robert Brown, who created the “her” portion of the bedroom equation, allowed boldly graphic pattern to dictate. “The house is so grand and has so much history, I felt it demanded a bold look,” he explains. The charcoal-and-white fabric dresses the bed, windows, and club chairs. The end result: a romantic room and dressing area that masters the mix of classic and modern.

Like Kessler’s bedroom, Traci Zeller and Lisa Mende’s dressing room is defined by tailored classics. “The custom architectural toile, based on the original elevations of Adamsleigh, honors the home’s history and the passion of its creators,” explains Zeller. Edged in green grosgrain and nailhead trim, the one-of-a-kind wall covering steals the spotlight.

Megan Winters designed the guest room at the top of the stairs. “It needed to be happy, have high energy, high style, and be timeless but current,” says Winters. The white ceiling and walls begged for black-and-gold embellishments: double-striped wallpaper on the ceiling, on the starburst-style mirrored artwork flanking the bed canopy, and on the graphic throw pillows. Providing a sound foundation is the poster bed in ebony with gilt accents and matching nightstands from Thomas & Gray. The striking chandelier is from the designer’s own collection.

Debby Gomulka’s guest room is the epitome of graceful and gorgeous. “The underlying ‘past-perfect’ composition unifies the modern textiles with the period furniture pieces,” explains Gomulka. The ceiling’s French rococo stenciled design grabs guests’ eyes upon entering, while a floral fabric beautifies the window. The bed, dresser, chaise, and gold-leaf end table are from French Heritage.

Designer Leslie May transformed the maid’s room into a “girls only” retreat, complete with candy jars and plenty of pink accessories. “Not many families have a need for a maid’s quarters now,” she says. “I wanted a space that fits how we live in our homes today.” Brown-and-white patterned pillows complement the lacquered walls. A white tufted sofa with sculpted arms and box-pleated skirt encourages guests to kick back and relax. “It’s a lounge area for the teenage daughter to gab with girlfriends and finish up her homework,” May says.

Kara Cox, designer of the second daughter’s bedroom, “wanted to create a space that feels current and glamorous for a girl today.” She highlighted the unusual original fluted-plaster walls with a chalky white paint and lacquered the ceiling in a soft pink. Shape defines the lambswool-upholstered headboard and its peach-and-citron canopy, which sports wide woven stripes. The vanity chair wears perky peach upholstery. A hammered gold-leaf bench accessorizes the foot of the bed. The modern geometric carpet underscores the room’s fresh attitude.

Designers Cindy Smith and Patrick Lewis designed the lower-level gentlemen’s retreat by referencing its unique past. Originally the room was a gathering place for men after a day of hunting, and Smith and Lewis drew inspiration from the era. They selected dark colors that gave the room a sense of depth and seclusion. “It would have been an impossible task to lighten the windowless room, so we chose to embrace the dark vibe,” Smith says. Casual upholstered pieces from Lee Industries and European antiques are combined with industrial elements and massive tonal photographs to achieve a masculine space ideal for playing cards, drinking, and casual dining. Both designers agree: “The gentlemen’s retreat is a refined and rustic room with an alluring sense of mystery and intrigue.”

Back outdoors and on the opposite end of the design spectrum, Jason Oliver Nixon amped up the pool cabana with delicious accessories like colorful throw pillows, a lime green tray, and an outdoor patterned rug in look-at-me hues. “The classic Lane Venture furniture served as the perfect foundation pieces for the pavilion,” says Nixon. The all-weather wicker chairs and over-scaled ottoman offer comfortable poolside seating. Hanging lanterns inject whimsy and keep this corner of Adamsleigh celebration-ready.